Animum Antiquum
by Lady Aramis
Summary: Voldemort's attack in Godric's Hollow did more than give Harry a lightning bolt scar and a broken soul fragment. What is released that night turns the fate of the Wizarding World upside-down and utterly shatters the prophecy. See how the world reacts to a Savior who is darker and more jaded than Voldemort himself! Rated M for violence and possible slash.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**I know I should be updating Dark Minds, but this idea has been bouncing around in my head all week! As it is I have the next DM chappie almost done, along with the first full chapter of Animum.**

**On with the show!**

* * *

**Prologue**

I laughed at the pretty lights Papa was making with his stick.

Today had been so fun! Unca Pa'foo had come to talk with Papa earlier, and it must have been bad, 'cause Pa'foo wasn't laughing or smiling at all. He looked so sad that I decided to cheer him up. Pa'foo was always happy when I acted silly, so I dumped my pudding on my head. Pa'foo laughed at me, and he wasn't sad no more. He had gone away now, and Papa was making pretty lights for me.

I tried to grab the lights, but my hand went right through them and they popped like bubbles. Mummy was laughing so hard at us that her face was red.

Then, everything went wrong. There was a bad noise. It went 'Aieeeeeeeeee' and hurt my ears. I started crying. Papa jumped, handing me to Mummy. I heard Papa shouting at Mummy.

"Lily, take Harry and run!"

Mummy ran to my room and set me down in my crib. She waved her stick, tapping it on my head. All at once I felt warm and safe. Then, Mummy leaned over, smiling at me and whispering, "Be safe, my Harry. I love you." Her eyes looked wet.

The door banged open. Mummy stood in front of me as someone all in black came in. I stared at him in fascination. His hair was dark like mine, and he was very white and tall. His eyes were red just like my blankie and Mummy's hair. Mummy started talking to him.

"Please, not Harry! Not my son!"

Red-eyes answered her calmly. "Stand aside now, girl. I'm only here for the boy."

Mummy cried, "Please don't hurt him. Take me; kill me instead." I wondered why Mummy was so upset. What was kill?

"Stand aside now, girl!" Red-eyes said in a scary voice. It sounded like Papa's when I had stolen his stick. Was Mummy being naughty? She looked so sad.

"Please! Not Harry! Have mercy...have mercy..." Mummy was crying now. Why was she so sad?

The man, who looked mad now, answered her with silly words, pointing his stick at her. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

There was lots of green light, and when I could see again Mummy was gone. I looked around for her. Then I saw Mummy lying on the floor. What was she doing down there?

Red-eyes pointed his stick at my face. I looked up at him. The man smiled, saying, "So _you_ are the child prophesied to defeat me? Ha! Goodbye, Harry Potter."

He whispered the silly words again. _–Avada Kedavra-_

I saw green light again, and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Okay, this is gonna be really long. I, Aramis Gray, do not own Harry Potter, Bleach, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru, the Incredibles, Escape to Witch Mountain, Narnia, FMA Brotherhood, Alice in Wonderland, Kuroshitsuji, Lost Years of Merlin, Avatar the Last Airbender, or Tangled.**

**Whew! Now that that's over with, here's a nice long chappie to make up for my not updating for...um...around a month. ...Oops?**

* * *

Hurt. I was hurting all over. I wanted Mummy! I wanted her to make the hurt go away!

("o")

—**Lights and pictures flashed in front of me—**

"_Why can't I go outside?" I asked. The brush going through my hair slowed. "The outside world is a terrible, dangerous place. You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, Flower?" I understood. Momma was protecting me._

**...**

_I had found a little lizard! Mother's book told me that it was a chameleon. "Your name is Pascal," I told it happily. "But you have to stay out of sight—Mother hates lizards." Pascal nodded his tiny head. My new pet was so clever!_

**...**

_Eugene was so different from the men Mother had described. Had Mother been wrong about the outside world? Thugs and ruffians were nice, and I hadn't met __any__ men with pointy teeth! And oh, the kingdom was so beautiful, and the people all seemed so happy! And Eugene liked me. Mother was wrong—she had to be!_

**...**

_The horse chasing Eugene was hilarious! Maximus was a real charger, but he was a sweetie too. I mean, promising to not chase Eugene for a whole day just because it was my birthday—I honestly hadn't expected him to accept the deal!_

**...**

_ "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"_

**...**

_ I stared beseechingly at Mother. "Just let me heal him, and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was... I promise."_

**...**

_ Eugene cut my hair! Mother—no, Gothel—fell out the window of the tower that had been my prison. My kidnapper and jailer was dead, so why wasn't I happy?_

**...**

_I met my parents; my real parents! They were so happy to have me back, and I'm glad too, even if princess lessons are boring..._

**...**

_Eugene finally asked me to marry him! Of course, I did say yes. Our wedding was the talk of the kingdom for months afterward._

**...**

_I had a son! Mom and Father adored little Thomas..._

**...**

_My daughter Rosemary was born..._

**...**

_Eugene actually taught Tom to ride on Maximus! I love that horse to death, but he can be a little bit __too__ enthusiastic. (This is proof that my husband is __insane__...)_

—**They came faster, passing at the speed of light—**

_I held my father's limp hand, watching his peaceful expression as tears streamed down my face. _

**...**

_I reflected on how fickle the world was; how one day everyone would be in mourning, and the next they would be brilliantly happy. I listened to the—to my—citizens crying out, "Long live Queen Rapunzel!"_

**...**

_I stood in front of a casket dressed all in black once more. My true mother was dead now, just like the other one. Just like Gothel. Would I be next?_

**...**

_I stood proudly, happily, as my son Thomas spoke his vows in front of the priest. His bride would bring joy back to our castle of mourning._

**...**

_Listening to Eugene tell our beautiful grandchildren a story about a kidnapped princess with long golden hair, I fell asleep and darkness filled my vision._

(^o^)

Everything was mixed up. I was Rapunzel—no, Harry. What was going on? Hadn't I just died? Who was holding me? Was that a motorcycle? My head hurt.

(-_-)

_ "Choose well, young benders! A sky bison is a companion for life!" I noticed a small one ambling toward me and handed it an apple. As it crunched it, I said, "Your name is Appa. I guess this means we'll always be together, huh? Always..."_

**...**

_ "Are you sure they didn't make a mistake?" I asked. "The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned fifteen. Now! Are you going to help me with these cakes or not?" I grinned at Monk Gyatso. "Right!" I stood and air-bended a ball. We bended the cakes over the balcony and they landed on the senior monks, who were meditating on the lawn below us. We both laughed uproariously. "Your aim has improved greatly, my young pupil!"_

**...**

_ "Hey, Aang! We made a game out of the trick you showed us!" I looked over at the other air nomad curiously. "Cool! Can I play?" He frowned. "I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be fair, with you being the Avatar and all..." I blinked. "Oh." I turned away, trying to hide my hurt. Why did __**I**__ have to be the Avatar? It just wasn't fair!_

**...**

_ I didn't want to leave, but there was nothing else for me. I left a note and flew out the window._

**...**

_ I was being pushed under the water. I could feel my consciousness slipping when an amazing power flooded me. I air-bended a ball of air around Appa and I, and as ice formed around the air-sphere, everything went black._

**...**

_ Katara, the water-bender who found me, was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. "Um, Aang? Why are you smiling at me like that?" she asked, looking at me oddly. I blinked in surprise before rubbing my head, embarrassed. "Oh, I was smiling?" Katara's brother Sokka smacked his forehead in exasperation._

**...**

_ "This war is one hundred years old. Somehow...somehow you don't know about it because you were in that iceberg for a hundred years!" I stared at Katara in horror and disbelief. One hundred years? Impossible!_

**...**

_ I stared at the spirit form of Avatar Roku, feeling lost and confused. "Aang. You must defeat the Fire Lord before the summer's end." Defeat him? But that would mean killing, wouldn't it? I don't know if I can kill anyone, even Fire Lord Ozai._

**...**

_ I felt at one with the element Water. I was at the heart of a giant water-creature. My eyes and tattoos glowed, signifying my entrance into the Avatar State as I water-bended all of the Fire Nation's ships away from the Northern Water Tribe city._

**...**

_ I had found my new earth-bending teacher! Toph was a brilliant bender, but a strict instructor as well. I think that Bumi would like her._

**...**

_ I sat inside my crystal sanctuary, letting go of everything—even Katara. I inhaled slowly before feeling a familiar power overtake me. I came out of my sanctuary, assessing my enemies with the knowledge of all the Avatars before me. Then, before I could attack, I gasped at the sensation of being seared straight through with lightning. My connection with the Avatar Spirit disappeared as I fell to the ground._

**...**

_ The officials pushed me into a room. It was filled with Fire Nation students. "Is this a new mind ready for molding?"_

**...**

_ "You're not from the fire nation!" 'Uh oh', I thought, 'what if she—' "Clearly you're from the colonies, what is your name?" I didn't know what to say. Then I remembered my old Fire Nation friend. I stammered "Uh, I'm Kuzon." I looked around at the unfamiliar faces. Maybe we could be friends!_

**...**

_ "In the beginning of time we didn't bend the energy around us, but the energy within ourselves." The giant lionturtle put his claws to my face and I felt a warm energy surge through my body._

**...**

_ Fire Lord Ozai was bending a powerful wave of fire, forcing me into the rocks behind me. An outcropping in the rock went onto the scar Azula had given me. I felt my soul reconnect to the Avatar Spirit. I saw my fully realized self and I reconnected with the world. "Come out little boy," the Fire Lord was taunting me, "you're about to be-" I grabbed his goatee and forced him back with a huge gust of air. I bended a protective circle of all the elements around me and started fighting Ozai. Though he tried to get past me and to win, his odds were deteriorating. I grabbed him with a tentacle of water and slammed him onto a pillar. I earth-bended rock up around his arms and legs, holding Ozai down. Then, all of my past lives spoke through me, "Fire Lord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this earth! Now you shall pay the ultimate price." A combined stream of the four elements surged down toward his chest, but I couldn't do it. Nothing could bring me lower than to kill someone! I sank back to the ground and felt Ozai coming towards me. As he fire-bended I raised a block of earth to hold his arm down. Then I did the same for the other one and bended his arms back. I breathed slowly and put my hands on his forehead and his chest. I place my hand on his forehead and chest, energy-bending his very soul. I stayed firm, like iron, and eventually felt something leave Ozai's spirit. His fire-bending was gone._

**...**

_Zuko and I stood on the mountain side looking at our accomplished goal, Republic City. We had built it as a place where all nations could live together in perfect harmony. _

**...**

_ Tenzin, my oldest son, was reading over his scrolls again! Sometimes he's really uptight. He should take a leaf out of his younger sister Kya's book. I looked at my daughter playing with her dolls. Then I turned around. "Bumi!" The one year old was now slobbering on our antique table's leg. It's times like these when he really reminds me of his namesake._

**...**

_ Yconne learned blood-bending. As I tried to arrest him, he used it on me. 'I have __finally__ overcome blood-bending' I thought with a grimace. I was forced to energy-bend his own bending away._

**...**

_ Toph had become head of police years ago, and we were all growing old. As I fell asleep, black consumed me and my world._

(*_*)

My eyes glowed with power. I let out a pained moan. A deep voice shushed me. The memories were filling my mind to bursting—why was no one helping me?

(*.*)

_ I laughed as I ran with my brother. Our hooves pounded the earth as we went. Slowing, I morphed seamlessly from my deer form to my human one._

**...**

_ My brother and I had rescued a young man from the dwarves. I looked over his striking features and felt nothing but wary distrust. Humans were dangerous, why couldn't Eremon see that?_

**...**

_ My beloved Eremon was dead. I wished we had never saved that young wizard, but I stayed by Merlin's side. It was what Eremon would have wanted._

**...**

_ How had it happened? My distrust—nay, my dislike—for Merlin had been transformed to love. He was young and arrogant, but my young hawk could also be brave, kind, and courteous. When he fell into the mirror, I was so terrified. He was already dying from the blood-noose; was I to lose Merlin as I had lost Eremon?_

**...**

_ Merlin was leaving for the mortal world. My wizard was leaving me on the night of our triumph over Rhita Gawr. We embraced in midair, our ghostly wings glowing in the moonlight. "So where, indeed, does the source of music lie?" he queried softly. I began to answer in a raspy whisper. "Is it in the strings themselves? Or in the hands that... oh, young hawk, I can't." Merlin kissed me, saying, "I am with you, even after I've gone."_

**...**

_ After long years of patient waiting, my wizard had retuned. Our wedding on Avalon was grand, with all of our friends there. Merlin travelled between Avalon and Earth continuously for many more years. I wished we could visit Fincayra together, but Merlin had chosen the mortal world, and could not cross over until his death._

**...**

_ We had a son! Merlin and I loved him dearly, though my hawk was disappointed that the magic in him had passed over his child._

**...**

_ My wizard and I aged well. After a while, though, Merlin came to me. "It's time to go home," he said. At my confusion, he elaborated. "To Fincayra. It's time for us to pass into the Otherworld." My heart beat faster. I would see Eremon again, and all of our old friends as well. "Although," Merlin continued slowly, "you won't stay there long." I turned to my husband sharply. "What do you mean?" I asked. Merlin sighed in a melancholy manner. "You have not completed your destiny," he replied. "Your soul is blessed. You will live many lives, and have many greater loves, before we see one another again." I stared at my apparently senile husband incredulously. "I could never love any man more than you!" My hawk smiled sadly. "I wish that were so, my dear Hallia. I truly do..."_

**...**

_ I saw the white, misty landscape of my home, Fincayra, which had long ago become part of the Otherworld. My brother—oh Eremon!—walked up to me. "Come visit me sometime, aye, sister?" I started to answer, but I was swallowed in blinding white and disappeared again._

(-_-)

I heard voices. Where was I? A white-bearded man leaned over me. Merlin! No, no; my hawk had never needed glasses, even when he was four hundred. Moreover, his eyes were black, not this stranger's light blue. He bent over, smiling down at me. Wait—what? Where did those imbeciles think they were going? As the rushing torrent of memories—for that was what the images were—overtook me again, my last coherent thought was 'Those idiots left me (a 15 month old _**toddler**_) on a doorstep in _November_?!'

(^o^)

_ "Ciel, come here. Your cousin Elizabeth and your Aunt Francis have come to visit." I smiled broadly. "Hello Elizabeth, Auntie Francis." They smiled and said hello back. Still grinning, I grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "I want to show you my new puppy Sebastian!"_

**...**

_ "London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady!" __Momma and Auntie Angelina sang. __As Elizabeth and I ran under their arms, Madam Red grabbed me, swinging me up into her arms._

**...**

_ "Momma? Papa!" Everything was burning. I found my faithful dog lying motionless on the ground. "Sebastian… no-o-o-o!" Suddenly, Tanaka was there. "Get out, young master!" he shouted, pushing me away. "Save yourself!"_

**...**

_ I was locked in a tiny cage, my clothes in tatters. I was so cold and hungry. "I want my Momma…"_

**...**

_ There was a scent of burning flesh as the Mark was seared into my skin. When would my torment end? Why would no one help me?_

**...**

_ "Know that if you reject the faith even this once, the gates of paradise will forever be closed to you." I turned in the direction of the voice, asking, "Do you really think that one who as among the faithful would ever summon a being like you? Now," I demanded, "stop asking these tedious questions and let me know if we have a deal!"_

**...**

_ I was finally back at the manor. It was such an exact copy of the old one that even I sometimes forgot that it wasn't my childhood home. Tanaka was living here with Sebastian and I, and he was quite useless. His stamina was practically non-existent now, and he had turned over his position of head butler to my demon slave. I needed to tell Sebastian to recruit some protection for the manor and Tanaka whenever I was away travelling._

**...**

_ "Woof!" there was silence for a moment, and then, "...Understood, sir. I shall be there to collect you momentarily. Please be patient for just a bit longer."_

**...**

_ I concealed a grin as Vanel gloated to Sebastian's bullet-riddled body. When his gloating changed to taunts directed toward my person, I addressed my butler's motionless form. "I'm tired of messing around. How much longer are you planning to play dead?" As Sebastian jerkily stood up, he answered me in a low voice, "Not long."_

**...**

_ I could hear Sebastian scolding Mei-Ren harshly and became curious about why—though by now I really shouldn't be, what with all the catastrophes those three caused daily about the manor. Curiosity finally getting the better of me, I snuck out of my office to see what our incompetent maid had done now. I inched along the wall, peering around the corner. Even though I couldn't be seen, I knew that Sebastian could most likely tell I was there. Bloody demon. Sebastian was muttering to himself as he cleaned up Mei-Ren's mess. "Why this imbec—that is to say, this maid. It seems that the problem no longer lies in her eyesight, but rather her lack of sense. Honestly, the directions were perfectly clear..." I had to stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from giggling upon hearing him. Hearing an explosion, the butler then hurried to check on the kitchen with me discreetly shadowing him. As Sebastian began cooking (after, of course, cleaning up Bardroy's mess and kicking the pyromaniac out of the kitchen), I heard, "Why this imbec—rather, chef. Why he must torch every meal I will never understand..." Finny then ran up to Sebastian sobbing over yet another gardening blunder, and the demon murmured, "why this imbec—this IMBECILE! How is it possible for one person to be this careless, forgetful, and idiotic?" I barely managed to reach my office before I dissolved into helpless laughter. For once my demonic butler and I were in complete agreement about something—Bardroy, Finny, and Mei-Ren were all imbeciles!_

**...**

_ "Tee-hee! Why Sebastian-darling! You've got guts! To think you would sacrifice your poor arm to rescue that brat!" This—what did he call himself?—__**shinigami**__ then proceeded to question Madam Red on her hesitation over killing me. I watched I horror as Grell (a name I knew I'd never forget) ripped my aunt open with his death scythe. Furious with grief, I ordered Sebastian to put an end to him._

**...**

_ The demon slipped my eye-patch off, caressing my face as he did so. Sebastian then leaned loser to me, his eyes glowing with that strange fuchsia-like color. I closed my eyes. 'This is it. This is the end,' I thought. How wrong I was._

**...**

_ I was at the Tracy ball, only weeks after I had resumed my usual life. The stranger finished 'cleaning' my jacket and walked up to me. Only one thought flashed through my mind in the following minutes. 'This fellow is dressed like a girl and... Did he just LICK my EAR?' It wasn't until later that I learned that the young (creepy) 'girl' was one Alois Tracy._

**...**

_ I was awakened by Claude, the scent of Earl Grey in the air. While he was dressing me, a large crash came from outside. "What's that?" I queried. "Oh, that... it is likely just a cat," was Claude's answer. I gave him a disbelieving look. I was not stupid. I knew that there was something he was not telling me. It was at the back of my mind, screaming 'Remember, remember!', but I was pulled from my thoughts by Claude's voice._

**...**

_ I watched the two butlers compete for me while I struggled against Alois' soul to regain my body. Sometimes, I hated my life._

**...**

_ I could hear them vaguely from behind a door. They were discussing the most unbelievable thing. And...No...Surely not... I listened incredulously to the demons' conversation. Were Sebastian and Claude really agreeing to __work__together__?_

**...**

_ I opened my eyes. I was underwater; Sebastian was holding me. He gave me the strangest look, and the last thing I remembered was my abdomen bursting open and blood mixing with the water. I promptly lost consciousness._

**...**

_ Sebastian woke me and dressed me in the darkest clothes I had. He 'prepared' my tea and handed me the cup. I pretended to drink the nonexistent tea. There was no point in making any real tea when demons were physically unable to drink it._

**...**

_ Elizabeth arrived, and she carried on about how my "horrid outfit" was "not cute at all". I asked her to dance. Lizzie accepted, of course, but she seemed puzzled. I held out my hand, my black nails clearly visible. While we danced, my eyes flashed in the same manner as Sebastian's had on occasion._

**...**

_ In the carriage, Sebastian and I were discussing the contract, and my changes. "...That's right, but I am still very much alive," I said. "Indeed," Michaelis agreed. "You are alive not as a human, but as a demon." My eyes flashed at his words. I recalled the contract Alois had made with Hannah the night of the maze incident. It stipulated that I was to remain alive forever... as a demon. As per one of my previous orders, Sebastian was to remain my butler until he had taken my soul. Thus, I thought, Sebastian would remain "one hell of a butler" for eternity. Or so I had assumed._

**...**

_ We didn't realize how wrong we were until nearly seven years later. Sebastian and I never even suspected that my transformation to a demon was incomplete, that my body was still mortal—not until I died. Not until I was murdered._

(-o-)

Somehow, the memories of Ciel stood out more than the previous ones. Maybe it was more prominent because it was the shortest, or perhaps because demon memory really is supremely excellent. As the torrent returned I wondered, idly, if the next set of memories would be happier.

(^_^)

_ "Alice. Alice!" I looked up at my governess. "Yes?" she huffed in annoyance. "You __must__ pay attention to your lessons, Alice!" I pouted, gazing at her with wide blue eyes. "But it's so terribly boring. Those dusty old books don't even have any pictures!" my governess sighed in exasperation. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a short break, but you have to mind your lessons when it is over!" I happily agreed and went off to play._

**...**

_ I nearly jumped out of my skin when I first saw the white rabbit. It was hopping along, staring agitatedly at a golden pocket watch which was attached, I noted, to a plaid waistcoat by a glittering chain. The rabbit was muttering under its breath, and actually talking in the Queen's English. "Oh dear, oh dear! Late again! Her Majesty will be terribly angry with me!" Utterly fascinated by this unnatural sight, I followed him down his little rabbit hole._

**...**

_ I was completely bemused and totally lost in this strange world, in this Wonderland (for truly no other name fit it as well). How was I to cope in a world where up was down and everyone was mad? Where was the logic? The reality? I sat bewildered, watching the fantastical creatures in this odd forest. A dog-like being erasing the path I had been following before I sat down snuffled past me, and I had an epiphany. There was no logic or reality here because the people didn't need it. Reality was boring, and logic confining. The inhabitants of Wonderland had simply recognized the truth of these facts and had decided to change (or rather, __remove__) all of the old rules. A quiet smile appeared on my face at this realization. I didn't know it then, but something deep within my person had changed drastically in that moment._

**...**

_ The second time I entered Wonderland, it was quite by accident, and was entirely the fault of the black kitten. That visit was even more wondrous than the previous one had been, and it ended with my being crowned a queen. _

**...**

_It was the black queen who explained the significance behind my being crowned a Queen of Wonderland. "Our world is one of those odd pockets of universe governed completely by thought." She had said, nodding her dark marble head sternly. "Governed by thought?" I asked curiously. "What do you mean by that?" The living chess piece smiled oddly at me. "Wonderland is a Fäe world; it is inhabited by faeries and wisps and controlled by the dreams and imaginations of young human children." My blue eyes widened in surprise. 'That explains a lot,' I thought to myself. "That is why," she continued, "it is such a chaotic place. Children are mad little things, and since it takes time for them to learn logic and common sense there isn't much of that sort of thinking here." I stared at her in confusion, completely ignoring the white queen beside us, who was humming softly to herself. "Why are you telling me all this?" The black queen smiled again, her dark face somehow managing to look amused and stern all at once. "I want you to understand what this world is like, and what is happening to you." I gasped. "Happening to __me__? Whatever do you mean?" She nodded briskly, pushing her crown up on her head as it began to slip off. "Yes. You see, Wonderland is connected to the minds of the children of your world, and it has been growing without boundary or restraint. Madness is all good and well, but there has to be a method to one's madness for one to function properly." I listened to her attentively. What the queen was saying made sense, but I couldn't help but ask, "Are you saying I was brought here for some specific purpose? And what does that have to do with whatever is happening to me?" The two queens smiled approvingly, almost proudly, at me. "We are only two of the many kings and queens that govern this Wonderland. The only commonality between all of us is that every ruler of Wonderland was created—" "Or born, if you will," the white queen commented. "—inside Wonderland by the dream of a child." I frowned. "What's so bad about that, though? A native always rules a people better than a foreigner." They laughed at me shaking their marble heads, the white queen nearly quaking with the intensity of her mirth. "Ah, but you are thinking with logic again!" The white queen exclaimed in her whispery, papery voice. The black queen nodded in agreement. "What you say may be true where you come from, but here, it is quite incorrect. Rulers though we are over our own little section of Wonderland, we are still subject to the whims of our creators." The white queen smiled gently at me, as she added, "But you were a human child, one of those in control of our world, when you arrived. Many children have entered Wonderland, but they rarely find their way out again. They become a faerie with no sense of self—yet another oddity in this odd little world. You were different though. You left once, and then you returned." The black queen jumped in, exclaiming, "And not only that, but during your current visit you joined in the Great Game and became a true Queen of our Lands. Even though you have started to become faerie like us, child, you retained that bit of sense, that bit of reality which ties you to the other place." I shook my blonde head in bewilderment. "I still don't understand." The queens laughed at me again. "You are both a dream-girl and a normal child! You are both sane and mad! You are connected to reality and to this Fäe dream realm. You are truly Queen over all of Wonderland."_

**...**

_ It took me a while to understand, but eventually I comprehended what the queens had been trying to tell me. I was both human and faerie, the perfect person to control and order the chaos in Wonderland. I travelled back and forth for many years, though I mainly lived in Wonderland. I kept in contact with my sister and her family, though after a time I only watched from a distance. I never really allowed myself to grow up—somehow, I knew that my body would never handle the strain of showing my proper age, especially with all the time-travelling I did._

—**My life as Alice was strange. I eventually stayed almost permanently in Wonderland, but I was never sure of how long I lived there after I left mortality and Earth behind. Sometimes it seemed I stayed only an hour before my end came. Others, I lived for thousands, no, millions of years. The crush of memories weighed down on me. It was too much, and everything was an incomprehensible blur.—**

_ One thing did stand out, though. I knew who I was. I remembered all my past lives: Princess Rapunzel... Avatar Aang... Hallia of Fincayra...Lord Earl Ciel Phantomhive... As Alice I knew all of them, and I knew myself. My previous panic calmed as I slowly began to understand who I was. To understand __what__ I was._

(0_0)

I suppose Alice's memories overloaded my mind, because everything went faster after that; all of the memories being absorbed in the blink of an eye and leaving me only with impressions of the person I was then.

(*.*)

_ I beamed at Mom, Alfonse sitting beside me. I relived the horror of our failed human transmutation. _**—A life flashed before my eyes— **_I was protective of my younger brother Alphonse. A child prodigy, the best of the best, I was arrogant and cocky (and most definitely __not__short__!). I was a state alchemist, and even though I was a dog of the military, I never gave up my principles. I saw the Truth, I knew the Truth, but I gave up that Truth for my brother Alphonse. I loved my family: Winry, our kids, Al, his wife and kids. I was Edward Elric. I sat on a porch studying a battered watch—the symbol of my former position as a state alchemist. I read the writing inside: "_Don't forget 3, Oct. 10_" I smiled in a melancholy way. "Fullmetal Alchemist, huh? Ha!" Chuckling, my eyes closed drowsily and my world darkened. A familiar being smiled at me. "Back again, young alchemist? Well, you won't be staying long..." I was met with blinding light._

**...**

_ I laughed as I played hopscotch with Susan. I stared around in awe at the snowy forest._** —I witnessed a wonderful life, though it was much too short—**_ I was the youngest of four siblings. The baby, as Ed and Su seemed to constantly remind me, even when we were rulers of a country. I was crowned Queen of Narnia at only seven years. My outgoing and courageous nature prompted my people to give me the title Valiant. I was Lucy Pevensie. I grew up, abruptly became a child again, and died before I could grow a second time, but Aslan told me I still had a long journey ahead of me before I could return to visit my family in His country._

**...**

_ I sat grading my students' exam books, horrendously bored by the sheer tedium. Idly, I scribbled a sentence down in one of the books: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." I stopped writing, and stared at the product of my distracted mind. I had no idea why I had written __that__. What on earth was a hobbit? A smile curled my lips. I knew that I would enjoy finding out._** —Compared to the seven previous lives, this one was relatively mundane, almost boring—**_ I was a brilliant young man, both a professor at Oxford and a philologist. I was a soldier in the Great War. I had a wife and four wonderful children. I was a teacher and a writer. One of my good friends was C.S. "Jack" Lewis, who was a member of my club, the Inklings. I was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. I lived a long, full life, but when I died I learnt that it was not over yet._

**...**

_ I heard a kitten meowing. It sounded scared, and upset! I twisted the door handle despite knowing it was locked. Doors always opened for me if it was the right thing to do. It never crossed my mind that it had been locked out of fear of thieves, nor that a thief was exactly what I would appear to be if I were found in the store's back room._**—This life was long, even longer than Hallia's—**_ I was a younger sister, but I was not human. I could move things with my mind, understand and communicate with animals, and my memory was perfect (literally). My brother Tony and I were refugees from a destroyed planet. I was Tia Castaway._

**...**

_ "Get back here, Dash!" I shouted as he sped away. With a sly grin, I stopped his progress with a purplish shield. "Hey!" my brother Dash shouted indignantly. "Mom said not to use our powers where people could see us!" I stuck my tongue out. "You were doing it."_** —This would be life number ten: it was only a bit shorter than Aang's—**_ I was an older sister this time. I was also a superhero who could create force-fields and turn invisible. My family caused the reinstatement of superheroes in society, and helped fight evil every day for the rest of my life. Super-humans live a lot longer than normal humans. I was Violet Parr, or as the people knew me, Vi Incredible._

**...**

_ "Luka... I love you," I whispered. "I know," he replied. "I love you as well. I will never betray you!" I smiled. I couldn't imagine life without the Giou, and now Luka was a necessary part of me as well. "Luka..."_** —This life was strange, and rather reminded me of Ciel's, filled with demons and spirits as it was—**_ I lived as Giou Yuki, the 'Light of God'...and then I died. I was reborn, this time as a boy. I lived again, helped save my clan and stop Reiga. But then I died again... and I didn't wake up as Yuki this time..._

**...**

_ "Stay back, human," I hissed. "You don't know what you're dealing with." The boy laughed. "I believe, fairy, that you are the one unfamiliar with the facts." I decided to brazen my way out of this mess. "I have magic, mud-worm. Enough to turn you and your gorilla into pig droppings."_** —The strange Mud Boy soon became a prominent fixture in my life; and eventually, a trusted friend as well—**_ Artemis and I ended up saving the world together dozens of times over. I was a Captain in the LEPrecon, and later, Section 8. I was a fairy elf, and my name was Holly Short._

**...**

_ I was scowling as I walked past the car dealership. 'I wish Dad would just act like a parent, for once, instead of letting his secretary dictate my life. I'll have to pull something __really__ big to grab his attention this time.' As I thought this, I saw a fancy car, and a ridiculous idea formed in my mind._** —This life was filled with gods and goddesses—**_ I was the daughter of a movie star and the Greek goddess of love. I was a problem child who would do anything to get my dad's attention. I possessed the rare ability to charmspeak. I helped my boyfriend Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, save the world. I was Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite._

**...**

_ Scowling, I evaded my father's attack. "Kick of Love...what a joke." I muttered. "My father's insane." I sighed in a melancholy manner as I passed Dad's shrine to my mom. _**—This life was incredibly long, and I realized with a start it took place in the same universe as Yuki's—**_ I was a half-shinigami; the older brother to twin girls. A soul reaper accidently gave me all her powers to save my life, and my family's. Later, I became a full shinigami to repay the favor. My friends and I live long lives; mine the longest. I only died from overworking myself, which is honestly a pretty stupid way to die._

("o")

My mind was filled past what it could handle; I couldn't process what I had seen. My strength gave out and I finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

* * *

**Reviews feed my muses. They also bribe the author into writing faster.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own!**

**Seriously, if you make me list all of them it'll take all day.**

**Enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

I regained consciousness slowly. My head was pounding and I ached all over. I let out a low groan as I pushed myself into a sitting position. Opening my eyes, I saw nothing but darkness. I scowled in aggravation.

'_Where am I?'_ A vague memory of being abandoned on a doorstep flitted through my mind, and I quickly grasped it. This had to be one of my current life's memories—from what I remembered I had never been abandoned in such a way before. My mind felt filled with knowledge, almost like I had gone through the Gate of Truth again… which, I realized with a start, I could now remember perfectly. Not even when I had only been Edward Elric had I been able to recall everything I had seen there—the whole Truth of that universe, and of alchemy. It dawned on me that because of this, if I trained myself I would regain the ability to perform alchemy. I also felt sure that it was only my training in Wonderland that had kept me from becoming a mindless catatonic during the deluge of memories I had just experienced.

Back to the point: my current location. It was too dark to see anything with my weak human eyes, and I wasn't strong enough to even attempt altering my form to see if fairy eyes would have better luck. From what my hands could feel, I determined that I was locked in a closet or cupboard of sorts.

Sighing, I sat back down on the cot I had awakened on. I determined that my best chance at some sort of explanation would be to examine my more recent memories. Folding my tiny body into a familiar meditative position, I fell into a trance, viewing all of the past 15 months of my life as Harry Potter.

'_My birth . . . infant hearing and vision were utterly useless.'_ I skipped over to the memories in which my nerve endings were a little more developed. _'I learned that the men I had known only as Unca Pa'foo, Unca Mooey, and Unca 'Ormtil were actually named Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. They were not blood relatives to my father (James Potter), but were siblings in the same sense the Zweilt and I had been during my life as Giou Yuki. They, and my parents, were members of a society of magic-using humans known as witches and wizards.'_ How…quaint. _'Reviewing the memories of the months leading up to the Hallow'een attack, I also found that my parents were involved in some sort of wizard war. They were in hiding from the leader of the opposition, though I didn't know why…'_

As I thought this, I recalled the red-eyed man's whispered words just before he had somehow induced my memory return. _"…the one prophesied to defeat me…"_ There must have been some kind of prophecy concerning me "defeating" the red-eyed man. I knew that I needed to find a recording of it. Prophecies were tricky things, and I had no desire to be forced to play the hero for some god's whim.

My trance was interrupted by sounds from outside my prison's door. There was a light on now, and I could see the door fully outlined in my dark space. I shakily stood on unsteady feet. My mind was perfectly aware of the mechanics of walking, but my body did not possess the muscle memory necessary for steady motion.

I banged on the door. "Hey!" My mouth felt dry and gummy from disuse. The clattering stopped. I decided to shout again. "Lemme ou'! I wan' ou'!" my mouth was as incapable of clear speech as my legs were of walking properly. I foresaw a great deal of physical dependence in the near future._ 'Joy.'_

As I was bemoaning this inconvenience, the door was wrenched open. For a moment, I was blinded by the sudden light. When my vision had cleared I saw standing in the tiny doorway a tall, gaunt woman with artificial-looking blonde hair. She was in no way pretty, and could only be described as remotely handsome by a large stretch of the imagination. I had also never seen her before in my entire (admittedly quite short) life.

"What is it?" she demanded brusquely.

I blinked at her, and decided to use my physical age to my advantage. "Where's Mama?" I queried, opening my green eyes wide and tilting my head to one side.

A sharp pain flashed across the woman's face before she said sharply, "You're mum's dead."

I already knew _that_, but a child my age wouldn't even know what the word 'dead' meant, so I chose to ignore that comment and asked another question. "Who're you?"

Her lips pursed, and the only thing woman said was, "Aunt Petunia." She looked as though she had swallowed a lemon when she said the word 'aunt'.

An aunt... I wondered on which side, and why I had never even heard of her before. My stomach growled, and I was reminded that I hadn't eaten in over thirty-two hours. "I hungy."

Aunt Petunia's eyes narrowed. She turned away and began to walk down the hallway. Annoyed at being ignored, I followed her. Well... as much as I was able. I had a sneaking suspicion that this "helpless toddler" situation was going to get very old very quickly. In the end, I had to revert to crawling.

I caught up with my aunt in the kitchen. There were evidences of cooking, and a full English breakfast was spread out over the counters. Aunt Petunia was rummaging through the refrigerator. She pulled a small jar of baby food out, removed the lid, and slapped it in front of me with a spoon. The woman then turned away and began setting the table.

My jaw dropped. Was every person in this damn place an idiot? _You don't leave a fifteen-month-old __toddler__ to feed himself!_ I eyed the jar with a carefully hidden look of distaste. I had tried baby food once before, on a dare. I had then promptly spat it out. But I was hungry, and it was obvious that this..._muck_ was all I would be receiving...

Huffing, I shook myself and awkwardly grasped the spoon. I managed to feed myself (with great difficulty), all the while cursing my handicaps and total lack of coordination. Half-way through my jar of disgusting goop, Aunt Petunia left the room only to return moments later with a disturbingly fat toddler. She then proceeded to place the blonde obese monstrosity into a high chair and feed him another jar of goop with a great deal of cooing and baby-talk. Let it be said now that I hate baby-talk.

Around this same time an obese man who, I would wager, was father to the toddler blimp, entered, sitting down at the table and beginning to eat with savage abandon.

I felt my lip curl at the image this family presented. _'Mud Men...'_ I thought with disdain. _'No matter what universe, they're still disgusting idiot pigs.'_

(v_v) I am an angry face. (v_v)

Over the next few weeks, I learned three important things:

(1) The people I had been sent to stay with were my mother's sister Petunia Dursley, her husband Vernon, and their two-year-old son Dudley

(2) They hated me with a fiery passion

(3) Both my aunt and my uncle preferred to pretend that I did not exist.

The cupboard I had awakened in was made my bedroom, and the only time Aunt Petunia seemed to remember my existence was at meals. I toilet-trained myself in only a month because I really came to hate diaper rashes.

The Dursleys' treatment of me was neglect to the extreme, bordering on abuse, but I really couldn't bring myself to care at the time. I was much more concerned with bringing my physical and supernatural abilities up to par. It was difficult, trying to train a toddler's body to be a fighter, but it was necessary. I _hated_ being helpless and dependent upon others. That had been a defining trait in enough of my lives that it was quite prominent in me now. I discovered that while I could alter my body to reflect all of my past identities—male and female—I could not make myself any older than I was, but I knew that ability would come with time. I likewise could not yet access all of my different powers. I could use the "healing hair" I had as Rapunzel and my naturally ultrasonic speech I had as Tia, of course, but the only supernatural power I could use was bending.

(*_*) I feel like hurting you. (*_*)

The next two to three years, my life was an endless monotony of physical training and bending control. It was during this time I was almost grateful for my relatives' incredible neglect. As long as I was not in the house and returned home in time for dinner, Aunt Petunia did not care what I did during the day. Accordingly, I daily would sneak off to an alleyway behind the house and practice my bending. By my second birthday, I was every bit as talented at air-bending as I had been at twelve as Aang. By my third, I had re-mastered all four elements and had even begun experimenting with energy-bending (as I had dubbed the power taught to me by that ancient lionturtle). I also found, to my utmost astonishment, that I also still had access to the Avatar state and the Spirit World, despite no longer being a resident of that universe. I knew that those abilities would certainly come in handy.

Unfortunately, the Dursleys' treatment of me took a sharp downhill turn starting shortly after my fourth birthday. It all started when Aunt Petunia dragged me into the kitchen one morning and ordered me to help her cook breakfast. Accustomed now to my "family's" outrageous commands, I complied. My imbecilic aunt placed me on a stool in front of the stove and told me to watch the bacon before walking away and setting the table. I did as she said silently.

Honestly, I rarely ever spoke, because once I had regained the ability to properly form words, I had a tendency to be rather..._wordy_. I also had a nasty habit of swearing in an amalgam of Gnommish*, Greek, and Japanese. Thus, I decided to act the mute—the Dursleys certainly didn't mind.

It only took me a moment to realize that she hadn't left me anything to grasp the hot pan with. I could tear my shirt, I supposed, but Aunt Petunia always got annoyed when I "wasted the charity they had so kindly gifted me with", and I didn't fancy the headaches her scolding's always caused. I glanced covertly at my aunt. Upon seeing her occupied, I slipped my hand into a small pouch I had fashioned myself out of small strips of leather. When my hand came out, it was coated in a thin film of water. I cooled it before concentrating the water over the part of my hand which would be holding the pan-handle. I then safely grasped the handle and used a spatula to flip over the thick slabs of bacon.

Glancing again at my aunt, I noticed that she was covertly watching me with a rather eager expression on her face. After a moment, though, Aunt Petunia turned away with a rather disappointed and annoyed look on her pinched face. A terrible anger seemed to build up in me as an explanation came to mind. _She wanted me to burn myself, and was disappointed when I didn't. That __hag__ tried to burn her four-year-old nephew!_ The fury grew and grew, and I had to concentrate on keeping the water still coating my hand from boiling. I glanced back at her furiously and saw that she was reaching a hand into the oven, presumably to retrieve the biscuits. My anger boiled as I watched the despicable excuse for a human being. Petunia (I refused to call a woman who planned to burn a four-year-old Aunt) withdrew her hand suddenly with a startled cry of pain. I was surprised to see that it bore third-degree burns. _'How did that happen? The oven isn't placed on a high setting.'_ Shrugging it off, I turned back to the bacon, which was near done now.

After coating her hand with ice, Petunia called me over and had me remove the biscuits from the oven. Again she did not offer me oven mitts or even a cloth to protect my hands. Hastily pressing my hands together, I spread the cool water over both of them and then pulled the pan out and placed it on the counter. Under Petunia's direction, I finished preparing the breakfast. As I was carrying a heavy dish laden with food to the table, my odious blimp of a cousin entered the kitchen.

Dudley Dursley was a ridiculously overweight spoiled brat of a child, and both his health and his temperament issues were exacerbated by his parents' habit of conceding to his every whim. He also was rather a bully, even at this tender age, and took every opportunity to try and get me in trouble. As he entered the room, he walked past me, deliberately bumping into me and causing me to stumble. As a result, I dropped the dish I was carrying. I reached out to grab it, startled, even knowing my hand was too late, and wishing (not for the first time) that I had already regained my demonic reflexes.

Then—to my utter astonishment—the dreaded crash never came. _Neither the dish nor the food hit the floor!_ They were suspended in midair as if by telekinesis. _'That's impossible!'_ I thought to myself. _'I haven't re-mastered the powers I had as Tía Castaway yet. I've only __barely__ relearnt bending!'_

So if I wasn't energizing, how had it happened? I gradually realized there was a slight pull on my core, and suddenly wondered if this was wizard magic. If it was... I smirked as I thought, _'Oh the possibilities!'_

It had only taken me moments to puzzle through all this, and in that time my stupid cousin had been staring at the levitating dish open-mouthed. Petunia turned to see why he wasn't at the table yet, and let out a strangled sort of scream. "Vernon!" This alarmed my uncle, who had just entered the kitchen.

"What is it, Pet? What's wro..." His eyes then fell on his son staring dumbfounded at the dish. I had just grabbed the platter, releasing the magic I could now sense I had been using on it, and had begun returning the levitating biscuits and pieces of bacon to the dish.

Vernon stormed over to me, his face turning a horrid shade of puce. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR BREAKFAST, YOU LITTLE FREAK?" He grabbed me forcibly by the arm, swinging me around. I dropped the platter again, and it hit the floor with a crash. My uncle dropped me in a heap, where I lay, dazed.

He then lifted my up bodily, and before I knew what was happening, he had tossed me into my "bedroom" and slammed the tiny door shut. "I WON'T HAVE ANY FREAKISHNESS IN THIS HOUSE, BOY! YOU'LL STAY THERE UNTIL YOU'VE LEARNED YOUR LESSON!"

(^.^) How does dismemberment sound? (^.^)

Vernon's definition of solitary confinement as a punishment needed redefining. He left me in that damn cupboard for four days with no food or water, and I was only allowed out once a day and even then only to use the loo. Then, Dudley followed me to the back alleyway one evening and caught me bending. He ran tattling to his parents, and my cupboard went from bedroom to prison.

I endured this treatment for a little over three months before I snapped.

The previous evening, I had been locked into my cupboard indefinitely for some imagined infraction (I didn't even know what I had been accused of), and had yet to be released. Finally overcome with boredom, I pulled out a glow-stick, activated it, and began playing with some water from my pouch by the dim, sickly light. I added in a small tornado, trying to see if I could create a miniature hurricane.

Ordinarily, once I had been locked in my cupboard, my aunt and uncle left me there for a few days without food before dragging me out and having me perform some chore. Thus, I felt perfectly safe in my play, confident that I would not be disturbed until the next morning at the earliest.

Unfortunately, luck did not favor me that evening. I had begun trying to see if I could add lightning to my tiny storm when the cupboard door was wrenched open. Uncle Vernon looked me over with a sneer before noticing the tiny hurricane suspended between my hands. His face purpled. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU?" he shouted, reaching in with a large, meaty hand and pulling me out of the cupboard. "NO MORE FREAKISHNESS!" the man exclaimed, throwing me against the opposite wall. I hit the wall with a thud and slid to the floor.

Standing up dizzily, my only thought was _'That blundering Cyclops__!'_ I could take manhandling. The bruises went away easily enough if I shifted to my Rapunzel form. But he had thrown me with enough force to crack my skull. In fact, I suspected that my wizard magic had softened the blow greatly, which meant that if I was some ordinary mortal, I would be dead right now, and that thought infuriated me.

The obese swine lunged for me furiously, still shouting about freakishness. Concentrating, I curled my hands in a peculiar manner. The Mud Man was stopped in his tracks, trembling in both anger and terror. "You will _never_ touch me again." I whispered in a quiet voice. I then threw him back with a great burst of air. The thud he made when he hit the wall was quite satisfying, and actually rocked the house.

Drawn by the racket, Petunia came running down the stairs. Upon seeing her husband lying stunned across the hallway, she rounded on me. "You freak! What did you do to Vernon?"

I smirked. "I didn't do anything."

"You ungrateful lying brat! How dare you—after all we've done for you—" the woman spluttered with indignation.

The smile fell from my face. "All you've done for me?" I whispered. "You starved and imprisoned me. Your husband just tried to _kill_ me. I simply returned the favor."

Petunia's eyes had gone very wide, and she looked as though she was going into shock. That wasn't unexpected, though. I don't think she had ever heard me say more than three words at any one time.

I smirked at her befuddled expression. "I will not stand for this treatment any longer. Especially not from _insects_ like you."

Petunia's bewilderment turned to fear. "Wha...what are you going to do?" she quavered.

My smirk broadened. "Don't worry, auntie dearest," I said sweetly. "I'm not going to do anything to Vernon, or to you—"

"Then what are you planning to do?" she shrieked. "I-if you touch my Dudders I'll—"

I laughed out loud at that. "I hold no grudge against your little _baby_. He only acted in a way he thought would please you." I stepped toward the front door. "No. I intend to walk out of here and leave. You will not alert the authorities. You will make up some story to keep the neighbors from growing suspicious. If you do that, then no harm will come to you..." I trailed off, opening the door.

I turned back to my aunt, giving her a truly sadistic grin. "At least, not for a couple years." And with that, I left the house, slamming the door behind me.

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**If you liked it, review! If you hated it, review! (Just don't cuss me out; my eleven year old sister is reading this and occasionally goes through my reviews.) If you really didn't have any feelings for this chappie one way or the other... review so I can make my story more interesting!**

**-Lady A. Gray**


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